The night was quiet, and the Imperial Residence was silent both inside and out. Jiang Ziyu, wrapped in a blanket, curled up on the sofa.
As the clock ticked, a strong light illuminated the living room, only to be plunged back into darkness a few seconds later.
The glass door of the living room was pushed open from the outside, and slender legs stepped in. The figure was silhouetted against the light, a large shadow cast upon the wall.
"Di Mingjue?"
A hoarse voice came from the sofa.
Di Mingjue turned his head towards the sofa, waiting for the other person to speak again.
Jiang Ziyu slowly rose from the sofa and, still sleepy, walked over to Di Mingjue. "Why are you back so late?"
She had been waiting for him to return, to thank him for buying the clothing store that afternoon.
In her drowsy state, Jiang Ziyu seemed to shed all her prickly defenses, appearing soft, cute, and utterly huggable.
Di Mingjue raised his hand, and Jiang Ziyu willingly came to his side, reaching under his arm.
"I've told you, if you want to see, you need to give your eyes enough rest. Why don't you listen?"
Jiang Ziyu's hair brushed against Di Mingjue's arm, a ticklish sensation that stirred his heart. He listened quietly to her chatter, following her steps.
Upon reaching upstairs, Jiang Ziyu switched on the room light.
The moment the light shone, with a click, the light was turned off again.
Jiang Ziyu froze, her sleepiness completely gone. She turned to see Di Mingjue's hand on the switch. "Why did you turn off the light?"
A gust of wind brushed past her ear as Di Mingjue grabbed Jiang Ziyu's arm. He stepped forward, advancing and forcing Jiang Ziyu backward. Her knees bumped against the edge of the bed, and a force pressed against her front knee. Her legs bent forward, and her body leaned back.
His broad hand supported her back, and Jiang Ziyu felt Di Mingjue's heavy breaths against her cheek.
The male hormones released into the air felt like tiny sparks, igniting her heartstrings.
His prominent Adam's apple bobbed as his hand moved from her back to her cheek.
Their eyes met, and seeing the infatuation in his gaze, Jiang Ziyu momentarily forgot to resist.
His lips, like huge fiery orbs, burned every inch of skin they touched. Unwilling to settle for surface kisses, his tongue pried open her lips.
*Hiss–*
Jiang Ziyu gasped, the taste of blood in her mouth instantly bringing her back to her senses.
In the dim light, she looked at Di Mingjue's unsatisfied eyes.
What had they just done!
Feeling the swelling of her lips, Jiang Ziyu instinctively pushed upward with her knee. The man on top cried out in pain and rolled to her side.
Di Mingjue cupped his lower body with both hands, gritting his teeth. "Damn woman, do you know what you're doing?"
What was she doing? She couldn't afford to think about it now!
Ignoring Di Mingjue's scolding, Jiang Ziyu quickly got off the bed, oblivious to her open neckline, and fled the room in a hurry.
"Fine! You dare to run!" Di Mingjue said to the empty room, his hand involuntarily touching his lips.
They still seemed to carry Jiang Ziyu's warmth, a warmth he found himself lingering on.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ziyu, her heart pounding, arrived at Yuze's room. After closing the door, her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the floor.
That kiss had been so gentle; if Di Mingjue hadn't bitten her lip in his haste, it would have escalated into a storm.
Jiang Ziyu slapped her cheeks, trying to stop her mind from wandering. She took several deep breaths, forcing her attention away from the recent events.
But her mind refused to cooperate, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't erase Di Mingjue from her thoughts.
"Jiang Ziyu, calm down! You have no right to be in love right now!"
Patting her cheeks, Jiang Ziyu forcibly replaced the image of Di Mingjue in her mind with those of the children.